OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS 77 



green grass and is very pretty. It is probable that some of the shrubbery planned will 

 not be planted, for it seems hopeless to make shrubbery grow; we have tried it for twenty 

 years and it hardly seems worth while in these crowded sections; they will not last six 

 months. Shrubs with thorns and fences around the planting have been tried without effect. 



I would say in regard to these parks that we use a great deal of rich soil; i8 inches 

 of rich soil over ail the grass surface. When trees are planted we fill a very large hole 

 with this rich soil so that everything that can be done to make the trees and shrubs grow 

 and thrive is done, which, of course, ought to be done. 



There are no gravel walks to speak of; there are grass and trees with the playgrounds, 

 then in the center is the gymnasium with gravel and back of that the farm-garden. The 

 walks, I am sorry to say, we have to make of asphalt. 



Every year we repair these downtown parks, and buy about 400,000 square feet 

 of sod for such work. People are forbidden to go on the grass. In a great many of 

 the places we have used every inch on both sides of the walk for settees, and 

 these settees form a stronger barrier than fences. 



W. H. SEWARD PARK 



This park is bounded by Canal Street, East Broadway, Hester Street, Essex Street, 

 Jefferson Street, Division Street, and Suffolk Street. 



This park, though it is quite small, probably cost more than any park ever built; 

 it cost a million and a half to buy the ground; then the improvements cost at least $250,000 

 more, so that an acre and a-half of ground cost about $2,000,000. 



There is a building here with a place to sit down and listen to the music, then there 

 is a gravel space for the athletic games, and a children's playground. 



Shrubbery cannot be kept because of the boys who destroy through mere vandalism. 

 Sometimes three or four rowdies come in and start to threaten some laborer working, 

 just out of pure wantonness, and if there is not a policeman around it goes hard with the 

 laborer. Thieves come in there, too. It is a bad neighborhood; I don't suppose there is 

 much worse. As for criminals, they overrun the neighborhood at times. Here is one 

 of the largest New York school-houses; it is quite a sight to see the thousands of children 

 come pouring out of this school and going into this park. 



There is a high fence all around it. We found it necessary to widen some of the walks; 

 they are generally 25 and 30 feet wide, and we thought that would be enough, as we do 

 not like to cut the park all up into walks. In that park there is not an inch that could 

 be so used where we have not put settees. There has been talk of flooding this park for 

 skating, and it could be done, I suppose, but I do not know how it would work down there 

 with that immense crowd. 



THOMAS JEFFERSON PARK 



This is a very interesting park; it is bounded by iiith Street, 114th Street, First 

 Avenue and the East River; it is beautifully located, looks out on the water, and is almost 

 perfectly level. There is quite an opportunity to get a park-effect here. The First Avenue 

 side is used for games, etc., and back of that is the Mall. There are eleven or twelve acres 

 in this park. 



